I lost the link but... Debra Walton of Thomson Reuters asks a great question: “Given that data is such a strategic asset, one of the biggest issues is understanding your infrastructure, your data standards and data governance. […] How do you have sufficient standards but create an environment that’s nimble, agile, and enables people to use data as an appropriately free flowing asset in the business and not a centralized bureaucratic process?”
My answer is that an effective business data standard is a pervasive part of the environment. Although a standard is in one sense a product, the utilization of a standard is an aspect of business processes – not a process in itself. A useful way to think of data standards is as a toolset you use to shape business processes.
Lubricating oil is a good analogy. Oil makes every machine in the factory run efficiently and extends the life of the plant. Different points in different machines need different oil types and regimes. But enacting these rules doesn't require a centralized Department of Lubrication. It's just part of the job.
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